The invention pertains to training devices and toys for domestic pets, especially cats.
It is well known that many domestic pets love to play with toys. Cats and kittens, in particular, because of their strongly developed hunting instincts, will spend hours playing with small objects. Kittens are especially fascinated by moving things, especially if they are hidden, and can be pounced upon. It is an object of the invention to provide a toy which is attractive to cats.
Cat owners enjoy playing with their pets, but, unlike dogs, which enjoy retrieving toys, cats tend to be solitary players. Most prior art cat toys are limited in the extent to which the owner may participate. It is a further object of the invention to provide a cat toy which permits the cat owner to participate in the play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,668 issued to Phillips, shows a toy for cats comprising figures of mice moved in slots by rods from underneath a rigid board. This arrangement is awkward for the user, who must place his hands under the baseboard, presumably on the floor. The cat will most likely quickly discern the relationship between hands and models and lose interest. The rigid nature of the assembly limits where it may be played, and requires a large storage area.
It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide a toy for cats and cat owners which is easy and comfortable for the owner, mysterious enough to maintain the cat's interest, and which will store easily when not in use.